Problem Child 15

“Who is that?” Marvel asked, as soon as the police sirens were behind them. He sounded mad. He touched down and let her out of his grip a bit suddenly.

Whoa. Aiko blinked up at him. It was the first time she had heard him angry. She took a couple of judicious steps away, uncertain of her footing in this situation. Her tension rose. She didn’t like him getting angry. He seemed nice so far, but he was huge and strong. Aiko flexed her fingers, wishing she already had a weapon in them.

“Why are you mad?” she dodged the question, uncertain what she had done wrong. She wanted more information before she told him the truth. If it made him angrier, her tactical position was extremely poor.

‘Where would I even go if he attacked me?’ 

Her heart rate didn’t rise, but she was kicking herself. Why didn’t she have contingencies? Why was she so reliant on him for transportation? That was a dangerous vulnerability. Could she even get back to the parking garage to meet Dad at the end of the night without him?

“I’m not-” Marvel stopped and sucked in a deep breath. He ran a hand over his hair. “Sorry,” he said, still sounding unhappy. “It’s Batman, isn’t it? He is always budging his way into things. Like your equipment, and-” he cut himself off again.

The tension in the moment rapidly fled out, as it was clear that he was successfully calming his temper. And he wasn’t angry at her, he was mad at Batman for encroaching? Mad at himself for perceived inadequacy as a provider and mentor in comparison?

She relaxed.

Aiko ran through the implications of this:

• Marvel might not like her association with Robin, given that he was associated with Batman.

• Marvel wanted to be able to operate independently and without interference, despite cooperating with the Justice League in other contexts.

• Marvel might also have cool shit to give her, if he thought that she needed it.

She recalibrated her strategy. She never had enough cool shit, no matter who it came from. Lex Luthor, Batman, Captain Marvel– she would accept it all. “It’s Beautia Sivana,” Aiko said. It was only part way a lie. The information had come from her. “She’s reporting on her dad, and I think we can trust her.”

Her mentor blinked at her for a moment. “That makes sense,” he said slowly, but his eyebrows tugged downwards in confusion. “Uh, you have her number? You didn’t tell me?” He coughed. “Not that you have to tell me everything, but…”

“You said that she sometimes helps you,” Aiko justified. She wrapped her arms around her body, minimizing her profile in a way that made her look smaller and younger. Look at how cute she was. Surely no one could be mad at her. “I, uh.” She made her voice go so quiet as to be barely audible. “I met her by accident, but she seemed nice, you know?” She shrugged.

“Like a big sister.”

It was a ridiculous lie. Well. It would be cool to have a big sister like that, actually. But the woman herself had not made any type of emotional impact on Aiko.

A big warm hand came to land on her hair. “You’re right,” Marvel said warmly. “I see now. But in future, please tell me about any interactions you have with villain-adjacent people, okay?” He stroked down the back of her head in a way that was almost familial. She leaned into it. 

He must have been doing it unconsciously, because he yanked his hand back and put it on his hip, then in his pocket. “Anyway!” His voice went high. “Sorry I thought…”

“It’s okay,” Aiko reassured him. She dragged a toe across the cement, scraping. “Uh, anyway. She took a look at her Dad’s credit cards, there’s one that Herkimer can use for evil group projects. It’s been getting deliveries for the last few days.” She lifted her phone again to squint at the screenshots. “Uh, heatlamps. Salinity testing kits. Giant toothbrushes.” Robin wanted an answer from her, but it seemed like a bad time to stop and text.

“Herkimer,” Marvel hissed.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye to see he was holding one of his hands in a fist and looking off into the middle distance. “Yeah, that’s incredibly obvious,” Aiko agreed. She put the phone back in her pocket. “Anyway, we should just go there and wait for him. We can get there faster than him.”

Marvel let out a long sigh. “I would love to,” he said regretfully. “But look at the time.”

The time? What- no.

“No,” Aiko said, wounded.

“It’s nearly nine pm,” Marvel agreed grimly. “Gotta get you back to your Dad.” He held his arms out. “Come on, uppies?”

Aiko hesitated, torn between her all consuming desires for both violence and uppies. “I…” She ran out of words. It was too cruel. Was it really her bedtime? She was solving crime! She deserved some sort of bedtime parole!

“That’s the deal with your parents,” Marvel said seriously. “And your Mom is so scary.”

She let her shoulders slump. “You’re right,” Aiko agreed. She was miserable about it, but he was right. “I don’t think I’ll be back this week to work with you to finish it. My parents are going to ground me.”

“Oh?” Marvel picked her up with his big warm hands and settled her into a comfortable carry, like a football. She wiggled a little more snuggly into the crook of his arm. “Are you gonna do something naughty tonight?”

“...No, I think tonight will be boring.” Aiko furrowed her brow and wondered, not for the first time, what his deal was. It was clear he was a very large free-range child. He didn’t know anything about a normal home life. “Thanks for the ride back.”

They chatted normally on the flight back, but now Aiko had an ulterior motive. What could Marvel offer her? Was it equipment? Tools? Magical training?

Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t counter-intelligence work, because he didn’t notice her subtle interrogation and the way she directed the conversation. 

Dad wasn’t waiting when they got back. Aiko checked her little paw patrol wristwatch, surprised. Being late was unusual, but she didn’t mind. It left more time for her to probe Marvel for information and to squirm further into his goodwill.

At least, she didn’t mind at first. By 9:15, they were both tense. By 9:20, Aiko broke. “I think- he definitely wouldn’t forget me,” she said. She chewed the inside of her cheek, confounded. She felt sick to her stomach. It roiled. He was mad at her, but there was no way he would punish her like this. He was always reliable.

“He would never forget you,” Marvel assured her. His voice was so solid and certain that it made her feel a little better. At least, until she started wondering what else might possibly keep her Dad. 

“Maybe he got into a car accident,” Aiko said quietly. Her heart hurt. She clenched her hands into a fist. “If– he would call. Leave a message.” She had checked the little flip phone that her parents knew about a dozen times in the last five minutes. There was nothing.

‘Something is wrong. What if he’s dead?’

She felt sick to her stomach. She sat down on the cement and hugged her knees to her chest. The good phone buzzed in her pocket again as Robin doubtlessly sent another message, but she didn’t look away from the flipphone. Still no calls. Should she call?

“Car coming.”

Aiko shot to her feet and blinked as headlights came into view. Was it- “It’s not my dad,” she reported, disappointed. “It’s not my mom’s car either.” 

She expected it to turn and drive another direction. Instead, it pulled to a stop in front of her. The passenger window rolled down. 

“Aiko,” called Mercy Graves, wearing what must be her best attempt at a friendly smile. “Sorry I’m late. Your Mom asked me to get you.”

Aiko blinked. She took a moment to look at the sleek black car, the dirt on the wheels, and then back up at the suspicious son of a bitch in the driver’s seat. 

‘The President of the United States kidnapped my Dad and he’s trying to kidnap me too.’

“Aiko?” Marvel said in an undertone, clearly clued in that something was wrong.

She brushed his concern off. “It’s okay, I know her,” Aiko lied, holding eye contact with Mercy, who she knew well enough to know that she was suspicious and unkind. “It’s Miss Graves.” The name clearly meant nothing to him, because he didn’t stop her when she pulled open the passenger side door and clambered in. “Where’s my Dad?” Aiko asked, just to see what the story was. 

Mercy laughed. It was fake. She wasn’t a very good actor. Man, Luthor really must be hiring for other traits. Aiko narrowed her eyes at the older woman as she answered, “Oh, he just got so caught up he lost track of time! It’s okay, honey.”

‘...This is an act for Marvel’s benefit. She doesn’t think she’s fooling me. She thinks she has me hooked and I’ll say what I need to say to get him to let us go.’

She considered it. She really truly did. Marvel could easily defeat Mercy. Aiko didn’t know what she was, exactly, but she was not as powerful as Marvel. She wouldn’t work for Luthor if she was in the big league. 

And then what? Then they would have no idea where Aiko’s Dad was. Luthor probably wouldn’t kill him for quite a while, not if the point was a hostage to control Aiko in some way. But if the situation became too hot to handle or if he gave up on the play, then Dad was a cheese toastie.

There was only one path from here.

‘I’m going to follow their lead until I get to Luthor.’

“That’s a relief,” Aiko said. She swallowed and then let out a slightly shaky sigh. “Thanks for waiting for me.” She looked back at Marvel to see if he bought it.

He looked troubled, but he nodded and stepped back. “Have a safe drive, Miss Graves,” he said, and then saluted. 

“Take care out there, big man,” Mercy purred, and then she drove off.